For the first time in nearly two decades, Real Madrid members will finally vote in a contested presidential election.
June 7th will mark the club’s first real electoral battle since Ramón Calderón’s victory in 2006, ending Florentino Pérez’s unprecedented streak of uncontested elections. And on Wednesday, the campaign officially came to life in dramatic fashion as both Florentino Pérez and challenger Enrique Riquelme presented their projects to the Madridista public in Madrid.
On one side stood Florentino Pérez, the 79-year-old incumbent backed by club legends, institutional continuity, and the weight of Real Madrid’s modern dynasty. On the other was Enrique Riquelme, the 37-year-old businessman and president of Cox Energy, presenting himself as the reformist outsider determined to reconnect the club with its members before, in his words, “privatization” permanently changes Real Madrid.
Both men spent the day presenting radically different visions for the future of the club — and both launched direct attacks at each other.
Riquelme launches an all-out attack on Florentino
“This is not an improvised candidacy,” Riquelme warned.
According to Riquelme, his team has been preparing this project since 2021. And throughout a lengthy presentation in Madrid, he repeatedly framed the election as a battle for the soul of the club.
“Real Madrid will cease to belong to its members with privatization,” he said. “Real Madrid is a global entity, but the club belongs to its members.”
The recurring theme of Riquelme’s campaign was social reconstruction — rebuilding the relationship between the institution and ordinary socios. He argued that over the last two decades the club has increasingly distanced itself from its supporters, prioritizing corporate expansion while neglecting member culture.
“What does it mean to be a Real Madrid member today?” he asked. “Priority access to tickets? I don’t know any non-season-ticket holder who can actually buy them. And then you see resale sites full of tickets at triple the price.
“There are people who can become members, season-ticket holders, and delegates in record time,” he said. “Meanwhile, ordinary people can’t.”
He also criticized the delegate voting process, calling the show-of-hands system “surprising,” and questioned the management of VIP boxes, suggesting conflicts of interest exist within the current structure.
“The VIP boxes are another matter entirely,” he said. “Transparency in their management is essential.”
But perhaps the most explosive criticism centered around Florentino Pérez’s close associate Anas Laghrari, a figure Riquelme repeatedly referenced in media appearances before and after the presentation.
“Why are privatization plans, the Super League, and so many major club operations in the hands of someone with no official position?” Riquelme asked in comments to The Athletic. “Why does someone who recently became a member have so much power?”
The attack represented one of the clearest direct challenges to Florentino’s inner circle in years.
The “Member City” project
The centerpiece of Riquelme’s campaign is an ambitious redevelopment of Valdebebas called the “Member City” project.
According to the candidate, Real Madrid has abandoned the idea of a true social club for its members. His plan seeks to rebuild that culture by transforming Valdebebas into a massive community-focused complex designed around Madridismo.
At the center of the proposal would be a “Club House” — envisioned as a modern social hub where members could gather to watch away matches, spend time with family, attend events, and reconnect with the club.
“It will be the home of Madridistas,” Riquelme said. “A place where every supporter knows this is their house.”
The project includes:
A new members-only social club
A hotel designed specifically for members
Sports facilities including football pitches, paddle courts, pools, and aquatic centers
A Madridista “Agora” for communal match screenings
Family camps and recreational spaces
Meeting areas for peñas and supporters groups
A new 15,000-seat basketball arena and concert venue
Expanded facilities for Real Madrid Women
A renovated Alfredo Di Stéfano Stadium with a proposed capacity of 20,000
Riquelme also argued that concerts should eventually move away from the Bernabéu and into the new arena, claiming the stadium renovation has failed to generate the expected profitability.
“After investing 1.7 billion euros in the Bernabéu, we still won’t generate the revenue we should,” he argued.
Major promises to socios
Riquelme’s platform focused heavily on social reforms aimed at members and season-ticket holders.
Among his headline promises:
A 50% reduction in membership fees until Real Madrid win another Champions League
A public and transparent waiting list for season tickets
A notarized lottery for 10,000 new season tickets
Opening membership opportunities for mothers and siblings of existing socios
A new season-ticket transfer system
Greater compensation for members who release their tickets to the club
Preferential services for veteran members
The return of the historic “Members Day”
The creation of an independent “Member Advocate”
A club-operated travel agency for away supporters
He also promised to restore traditions he believes have disappeared under Florentino Pérez, including the Santiago Bernabéu Trophy and stronger relationships with peñas.
Women’s football and sporting hints
Riquelme also addressed Real Madrid Femenino, promising greater institutional support.
“I would love to see the Bernabéu full for Real Madrid Women,” he said.
His proposal includes expanding the Alfredo Di Stéfano Stadium to 20,000 seats and regularly hosting women’s matches at the Bernabéu.
On the sporting side, Riquelme avoided naming specific signings or coaches, but he continued teasing what he claims are already-completed agreements.
In recent interviews, he stated that one of his signings is a Spanish international included in Luis de la Fuente’s World Cup squad.
“If I become president, there will be a Spanish player at the World Cup who belongs to Real Madrid,” he said.
He also revealed that his chosen coach is currently employed elsewhere.
“He’s not available,” Riquelme said, suggesting the manager is currently under contract at another club.
Florentino responds with a full-scale counterattack
If Riquelme’s presentation focused on social reform and criticism of the current administration, Florentino Pérez’s event was built around institutional defense, economic strength, and direct confrontation.
The incumbent president entered to loud chants of “Florentino, Florentino” in front of nearly 1,800 attendees at Madrid’s Meliá Castilla Hotel. Club legends including Ronaldo Nazario, Roberto Carlos, Pirri, and Santiago Solari were present to support him.
From the start, Florentino made it clear he would not treat Riquelme as a harmless challenger.
“For months I have detected a shadow campaign against Real Madrid,” Pérez said.
He directly linked Riquelme’s candidacy to the Ramón Calderón era — one of the darkest institutional periods in modern club history.
“These are the same people from the Calderón era,” Florentino declared. “The same people who stole the sovereignty of the members at an assembly. The same people who disgraced Real Madrid.”
He then escalated the attack by targeting Riquelme’s business record, referencing financial reports tied to Cox Energy.
“Do you really believe someone taking loans at 54% annual interest rates is qualified to preside over Real Madrid?” Florentino asked. “I am a Real Madrid supporter. Others want Real Madrid for themselves.”
Florentino’s central message: continuity and institutional power
Unlike Riquelme, Florentino largely avoided sweeping structural changes.
Instead, he emphasized Real Madrid’s current status as the most financially powerful football club in the world.
“Real Madrid is studied at Harvard,” he said proudly.
He repeatedly highlighted:
The club’s economic growth
The Bernabéu transformation
Recent Champions League and La Liga titles
Real Madrid’s global prestige
Technological innovation
One of the key proposals was a legal and economic restructuring aimed at strengthening member ownership.
“We, the members, are and will remain the owners of this club,” Florentino said.
The president argued that his reforms are the exact opposite of privatization and would instead make socios the true legal and financial owners of Real Madrid’s assets.
Bernabéu Infinito and the Apple partnership
Florentino also doubled down on one of the club’s most futuristic projects: “Bernabéu Infinito.”
Developed in partnership with Apple, the initiative seeks to create a virtual reality Bernabéu experience allowing fans around the world to experience matches digitally through VR technology.
“We are creating a technological revolution,” Florentino said. “A technological utopia that will become reality.”
The project would reportedly include virtual season-ticket experiences and immersive digital access to the stadium.
Tackling ticket resale and expanding technology
Florentino also addressed ticketing concerns, one of the major themes raised by Riquelme.
The president promised stronger anti-scalping measures and announced that confiscated season tickets from illegal resale operations would be redistributed to non-season-ticket holders.
“We are fighting against resale,” he said. “We have to protect the members’ assets.”
He also announced plans for a new technology district at Real Madrid City focused on AI and biotechnology. According to Pérez, these innovations could help improve injury prevention and tactical development.
The Negreira case becomes central
Both candidates addressed the Negreira scandal, but Florentino made it a central part of his speech.
“The world cannot understand how a club could pay the vice president of referees for 20 years and nothing happened,” he said.
Pérez promised to continue pursuing legal and institutional pressure regarding the case and revealed that Real Madrid intends to present documentation to UEFA.
“We are the only club that has publicly opposed this,” he stated.
Riquelme, meanwhile, used the scandal to criticize the current board’s effectiveness.
“Nothing will happen in the Negreira case because we raised our hands too late,” he argued.
A historic election finally arrives
The election itself will take place on June 7th at Real Madrid City in Valdebebas from 9 AM to 8 PM.
Voting by mail will also be permitted through a notarized process.
For the first time since 2006, Real Madrid members will truly choose between two competing visions for the future.